Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/120

 108 THE ROMAN DOMINION Senatorial republic; Anthony intended to grasp for himself the succession to Caesar. A civil war was soon raging, The Rivalry i n which Anthony, Lepidus, and Octavian formed a for Empire, coalition against the party of the conspirators headed by Brutus and Cassius. The Triumvirate, as the three who had joined together were called, crushed Brutus and Cassius at the two battles of Philippi, and parcelled out the empire between them. Anthony took the east, Octavian took the west, and Lepidus had to be content with the province of Africa — that which had been constructed out of the Carthaginian domain. But such a partition could not endure. Lepidus counted for nothing; but neither Octavian nor Anthony was satisfied, and war broke out between them. Anthony had fallen completely under the spell of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. Octavian had, in his loyal friend and favourite Agrippa, a first-rate commander as well as an exceedingly capable minister. Anthony's fleets were overwhelmed in a great sea-fight at Actium, and when the victorious Octavian pursued him to Egypt both he and Cleopatra slew themselves.